Tarrackin's Home Scroll (THS) 2007 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R : Shadow of Chernobyl

Top ^

Laptops, Changing Face of MP, Classic Gaming... and shortfalls.

23 March 2008

Comments by juni0r

After some time away from The Zone, and having attempted to get a dedicated server going last weekend, this Easter Sunday, and my day off I have allowed, we got a bit of session going. So much fun, that atmosphere, feeling of rain yet not getting wet. Like getting shot at and not dying. As I've said before, and yet to have seen it on a system worthy of this game's praises. I found myself playing it on a P4 laptop and without any complaints whatsoever. And even a crappy mouse. No deterioration over any desktop PC I'd played on. Sure, my frag count was way down, but there is time to get my hand back in, and its not whether you win or loose, but how much fun you have playing the game.

And that was after we had tried in vain to run FarCry successfully on MP. Something has to be said about the professionalism of the coding of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Its critics like to slam it on many levels but honestly, in my experience, and on hack systems my mate is expert at setting up, you have to wonder why. I'd suggest that most of them are not real gamers of our generation anyway.

Multiplayer doesn't mean an obligatory Internet connection, but rather two, three, six or countless PCs piled throughout a flat, cables going everywhere and a real social occasion, including copious litres of Coke, piles of pizza, and nothing but good times.

Interesting that Salient, Victoria University's student magazine ran an article recently about classic games which covered Half Life. The original that is - and they made the claim that, if you'd not played this one, you couldn't call yourself a gamer. Perhaps we would go so far as to say this of the original Doom. Essentially, the face of gaming has changed dramatically in a few short years. Still, my opinion is whole-heartedly that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has made the same sorts of leaps and bounds for the 21st century as HL did for the 90s. In saying that, every game has bases from which improvements can be made. I'm unsure how far Clear Sky will remedy the experience in this regard.

In MP gaming, though many games have different professions or classes, very few players even bother to work as a team, much less use their given character specialties to the true benefit of their fellow gamers, coordinating their weapons as they should be. Perhaps for many its about turning the brain off rather than turning the brain on. Fair enough.

Even at the most basic level though you can see the opposition to the likes of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., or Ghost Recon, or Operation Flashpoint for example, this is the deal and these players would rather be playing the umpteenth dozen rendition of Quake. But don't get me wrong there is always a time and place for such games - and I'd sent hundreds of hours involved in this sort of arena.

Reflecting on it, as I say, there are always rooms for improvement in the games themselves. Essentially, no game has everything, but collectively they do cover all the plausible options.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. misses out on having machine guns and barrel heat, volumes of fire therefore balanced up for gameplay. There is no capacity for going prone, or using bipods. The balance here, having to get up and move in a hurry.

Regards body zones, there is the head and the rest of the body. More advanced (though surely not too complex a thing) mapping of limbs has been around since Soldier of Fortune. Thereafter effects such as limping if you are hit in the leg, difficulty in aiming if hit in the arm, and faster bleed out if hit in the abdomen would be nice to see. Of course an "arcade mode" would permit these effects to be turned off.

It is worth exploring just how much of this sort of thing could be remedied by way of modding. How deeply you'd have to dig into the coding side of things I do not know. Far beyond my abilities, which are focused on the creative side. Still, I am sure a MG36 could be rendered soon enough given time and a few books and webpages on the subject.

Sadly now I must return to study, but it is my favourite academic subject, that of Film, which has a great deal in common with the realm of video gaming.

In the end, a proper day off is best spent away from the office, with good friends, with quality tucker and entertainment. If said entertainment includes a few rounds of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. then all the better. Even ended up talking about buying a wee plot of land. This, we deem a way of dealing with the changing face of another much loved past time, paintball. Proper paintball, in the bush, none of this speedball carry on. Anyway, we shall see. I'm yet to be back in the workforce and my wages are already spent. But, as I said to a mate (yet another one) heading to Aussie this coming week, you've got to have goals. Committed to them, your well earned cash is more inclined to go into things worthwhile. And there lies the things dreams are made of.

Top ^

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Essay - Narratology in the Zone

24 September 2007

Comments by juni0r

I've mentioned my B+ pass on this essay written regarding the game and a concept in academia known as narratology. This in mind, I decided to upload it to the site, in .pdf format for those who may be interested in the game, or the study of video games in general. Since S.T.A.L.K.E.R. offers up a genuine convergence of role-playing and FPS it is really on the forefront of an evolution in game design, thus my heading in that direction for the essay. It is certainly an interesting time in the industry. Good games go far beyond eye candy. The technology is ever-present for that now so, really, it is time for the more intelligent immersive worlds which games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. offer up. If you read the essay, let me know what you think, and be sure to cite it if you are doing academic work in the field.

Narratology_in_the_ZoneLTH.pdf

Top ^

Patch v1.0004

25 August 2007

Comments by juni0r

This one has fixed a lot of bugs, big and small including several missions and networking issues. Its a must have and will improve performance. Only 19.1 Mb in size.

Unfortunately there hasn't been any play for sometime, but I am looking at writing a essay on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. for a university assignment on digital culture, looking at ludology and narratology in relation to video games. Yeah, flash words eh... I'd rather be playin' but if it gets me this elusive degree then hey.

http://www.oblivion-lost.de/download/patches/stk-ww-10004.exe

Top ^

Clear Sky

13 July 2007

Comments by juni0r

Okay, so this has been made official, the release of a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. prequel in Q1 of 2008. No comments on release dates, but some on the first video I've seen. The idea of DX10 is both welcomed and expected, but what is shown is not. Our central character seems bullet proof to the max and is adverse to taking cover when a) taking fire, and b) changing out magazines. I can only hope there was an RPG man there somewhere in the firefight, because there is no way any assault rifle can take down a combat helicopter of the Hind series magnitude. I sure hope that Clear Sky does not become a "typical" FPS as far as realism is concerned. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has been a great balance between realism and playability, and for the latter and its open environment it beats Ghost Recon. Please let there not be a step backwards. Still, this is early days yet.

There were some obvious tweaks that needed to be resolved, and its an opportunity to turn a excellent game environment into an exceptional one. Won't say anymore until there is substantial material to go on (official). Also there is so serious calls to clean up the original game in earnest, eg: solid patches. In the meantime, check out these links:

http://stalker-game.com/clearsky/index_en.html

http://www.stalker-game.com/en/?page=news

Top ^

Journey's End

02-04 June 2007

Comments by juni0r

WARNING : MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

The good thing about taking screenies is that they serve as a reminder of the encounters you have had. That'll make the business of writing it all up somewhat easier. But, before I wade into that, there is a few hours on an essay to be done. Time for a coffee and a bite to eat. Nope, no Vodka, but then no radiation to contend with either.

Right, so I managed to sort out those dogs and carry on along this box around business. A few more nasty boys to greet me once I knew I was on the right track. The long way around seems to be the key to this section. Its rather cooling to feel the radiation ease up too. All the while I knew those emitter pylons were at the centre of the next turn of events in The Zone. And the answer to those dogs was more than tactical knowhow, but the fact I had turned up the resolution for some screen dump shots towards the end of my last session and forgot to change it back. So now, we carry on...

Heading down below ground again I had another encounter with bloodsuckers. Not so lethal though as I was able to dispatch them at range. Plenty of different machinery about but not sure what any of it was about at this stage. Some of the darker areas certainly needed the torch going and, even at low settings graphically, it was eerie and nerve-racking. Plenty of stairwells and numerous corners to keep you on your toes. Automatic was definitely the name of the game for the sear at this stage. Scopes of limited value, better not to have your field of view impaired during those close contacts. In the darkness I even got to truly test out the night sights on the SIG pistol. Very cool. Or was it the USP Compact? One has white and the other green. Both are particularly good in low light conditions. This is shown in the third screen shot.

There was a bit of a mission getting to the control centre for the emitter system. Plenty of ladders to climb and jokers doing their best to send you to an early grave. You have to be systematic about taking these fellas out. The only real tactic is - don't get shot. Consistent accurate shooting gets things squared away as quickly as possible before you start bleeding far too much. Spraying and praying just sees you to needing more of the latter. Aiming is good on these gantries and platforms. Once you get to where you're going you get a bit of a cut scene goin' on and then its time to get out of the place. Of course, going back the another hard fought battle with some skillful opponents, both cunning and well-armed. There were a few AI glitches I noticed here but all in all it was, as I mention, very challenging. Plenty of corpses result to clutter your exit. For example, one guy sits at the top of a set of ascending stairs and doesn't seem to see you at all. You can bag him really easily. Another was facing the wall. This is a classic fault in AI and hopefully can be remedied in the future - hopefully S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 :) This is as opposed to earlier situations I've mentioned where guys would simply be deemed to busy, occupied with a firefight - eg: how people are inadvertently ambushed in real life.

It was so good to get topside again I could almost feel the fresh air (okay, as fresh as it gets in The Zone), G36 in hand and those pylons in sight. This time I came up inside the base area I couldn't manage to enter on the way there. Too much radiation, too much sniper fire. And that murky yellow was no longer in the air. Man it felt good. But again it was, as I expected, a target-rich environment. Army guys fighting it out with, I believe, Monolith. Unable to stay out of the combat for long it was a case of shooting when I had to and generally making way out of the place. The G36, as in the real world, is nice and accurate, though the scope isn't the real deal :( Additionally there is no three-round burst which will soon be remedied also. Kevlar helmets pose some problems but a three round burst to the face usually does the trick. So, for the moment, it is well-managed bursts on the automatic setting. So, it was over the bridge, quite exposed, and past the sandbagged defensive position which caused me problems on my earlier abortive attempt on entry into this place earlier.

Off along the road and past another irritating checkpoint, Pripyat was the next port of call, and a bit of street-clearing. Snipers up apartment blocks and in windows, I teamed up with some lads to take out the garbage. A difficult wee piece in its own right, you can see I was bagged at the underground carpark at least once. I dispatched a couple of guys armed with gauss rifles atop the highrises. These jokers caused a few headaches, but the scope of the G36 came in handy. Just wishing I could put one on the Groza. Quite annoying really. The VAL silent assault rifle came in handy on a few occasions and I was able to pull off a few quite good flanking maneuvers to keep from getting filled full of holes. And it wasn't all plane sailing either, the AI continuing to challenge all the way. Except, while I'm not sure if this was deliberate or not, but up in this old wrecked theatre it was like a group of stalkers, Monolith again I believe, who were kneeled down in a bobbing meditative state, seemingly oblivious to my presence. Unrealistically easy to, one by one, take them down.

The next stage of the proceedings was somewhat tricky, with RPG fellows parading about the place wanting to see to your demise, and even a few BTRs on the move, their KPV heavy machine guns rattling away to let you know the crew is well and truly awake and on the ball. This level was saved as Stancia, whatever that means. You roll in and Hind choppers are overhead doing the business serious like. One or two are even taken down by the RPG crews off in the distance. You get the feeling something really big is going down and it sure is... Boys start rolling in behind you and its hard to avoid cracking it with 'em, but you simply can't afford to. Tried to grab an SVD off a fella I took down but with limited ammo it was of equally limited value. And then you hear radio calls and things are about to go critical, in the sense only The Zone can provide. The key is a hole that gets blown into a perimeter wall on your left. Forget going out into the middle of nowhere. A hard to port is the answer. Get through the mouse hole provided and carry on. You have a few minutes to find proper cover as everything goes haywire and gets blurry and disorientating. The wide open spaces are no place to be.

Getting inside the hanger after avoiding, as much as possible, cannon fire from the surviving military gunships, the RPG gunners, and the dueling factions you're let know you've got to the right place. Unfortunately if you don't get off to the left and onto the next level the radiation from the meltdown deals to you in double quick time, no "get out of The Zone free" card.

And to the last stage, the sarcophagus, the very bowels of the game. The scary thing is, this thing exists. Down in the depths of it all you go head on with vicious fighters who are either after the same thing you are or there as duty calls, last stand type stuff. They have the best weapons, good tactics and close quarter devastation on hand. By now it has been all about getting to the Wish Granter. And damn it if there isn't even more radiation to content with as you get within arm's reach of your final goal. With limited protection already, I was relieved to find a ladder giving me access to a odd concealed passageway where I found some exo-skeleton armour.

In addition, in these closing battles I was able to get my hands on a gauss rifle and a F2000. The former I found really effective if you hit right first time, otherwise, a limited battery capacity and close quarters soon finished me off. It would have been far better to get it earlier where I could have used it extensively at range. The FN rifle was good but had no real advantage over the G36, except its higher rate of automatic fire put down more lead for quicker kills at point blank range. But, conversely this meant more frequent reloads. Not good down on the farm I can tell you, when the boys in urban cam know how to shoot and move.

So its not an actual choice you make for the end the of the game, to get a certain ending but one that is predetermined by your prior actions. In this case, I wished that The Zone had never existed. Sadly the cut scene was quite short and had elements I'd seen before such as the guy firing the AKR from the hip. Cool, but yeah, didn't take long for the splash screen to come up rolling the credits for the game. Still, it is the journey, not the destination. Boy oh boy has it been a heck of a journey.

If you haven't played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and you're into FPS games, into RPGs or not even, buy it, be exposed to it. It truly is a revolution in PC gaming. What comes next is anyone's guess. The whole non-linear experience is only the beginning, enabling you go through the game a dozen different times and have a dozen different adventures. I got a whole lot more for my $89 than a couple of plays on different difficulty settings.

The following screenies are pretty much in chronological order, and thankfully so, as they remind me of what I did over a couple of days in The Zone.

Screen Dumps

some more of my adventures...

Multiplayer

Can also say I had some good MP time as well this Queen's Birthday Weekend. We played three different maps and had a blast. Some tinny shots, you know, flukes, but also plenty of skill going on as well. Quality tactics and constantly being challenged. Since these maps are based on real-world environments it lends itself to real-world tactics, whereas many games just simply don't have this. With the exception of Ghost Recon players (in general) many players won't like the settings, these challenges and what pertains to using the head rather than the finger. For me, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. offers what I'd always been waiting for. GR and the earlier Rogue Spear did act as some kind of stopgap.

Thankfully I'd been playing through to the end of my first single player so was quite well warmed up from the last evening. The duel was somewhat more even in the frag count throughout, but it always seems to balance up in any case. All depends whose been playing prior to the match. Serious fun!

2 rounds at the wall in front...fire!

Crawling inside a cable drum

Top ^

June Calendar

29 May 2007

Comments by juni0r

I have just remembered, I was working on a June calendar based off one of my recent screen dumps. Feel free to download it by clicking on the thumbnail below - and grabbing the 1024x768 image which will come up in a new window.

June 2007 Calendar

X-18 Labs

Top ^

Gathering of the Clan, Sniper Bait, Army Warehouse... and awesome MP action.

25-26 May 2007

Comments by juni0r

WARNING : MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Went out the way for a bit of a gathering of clans... well, in so much as I am a member of another clan :) not of blood but of kind. Shared many words of real world importance and many bullets of the virtual type. I again didn't progress too far in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and my mate backed up a suspicion I had that there was a need to backtrack somewhat.Radiation is a major feature and, though I'm not 100% on this, once you get wounded the effects of radiation tend to provide a more rapid demise to you, the Marked One. This stage is saved as Radar.

There is a base further up the road and several snipers armed with SVDs and SVUs at various points along the road. At one or two sandbagged positions intended to blockade the roadway, they set to and roll fuel barrels down on you. In classic Hollywood style they explode after a few shots. Handy to have them lay where you want and set them off at the most opportune moment. Inside the base (though I didn't get that far, but could see them) there are more of those emitter pylons. Interestingly there is also what appear to be the spirits of various mutants in The Zone who make unwelcome appearances. Sure enough shooting at them only wastes ammo - which I think was the point of these things, even though you're probably close to post-ammo letdown anyway.

Screen Dumps

Rollin' Barrels and Spirits

Be aware - murky yellowness is not good.

I was just getting nailed as I went through and tried to penetrate the complex and heading back and boxing round south may well give me the key I need, despite the radiation and the rabid dogs who claw you at every corner. Well, no but they kill you pretty quick in close. Bursts from the 74 seemed to be ineffective. Almost 30 rounds - yes a full magazine to down one of the blighters, and by the time you do that two of his mates are in doing the business. A SVD does it sweet at a distance, problem is, with only seven rounds, the effect is eventually the same - like a preverbal screw-driver in the back of the head.

Got a couple of short but extremely fun rounds in on MP mode. Superb I tell you. Still buzzing from the fun several hours later. First round was in the Army Warehouse map. Took me a while to get into the grove and thus getting pinged a lot in the first 10 or so frags (to use the old term) but once I settled down it was pretty much even. Great to play against someone who has more experience in the world and get some real challenge. Great to have so many options weapons wise, and also be in such a realistically depicted environment - the most realistic I feel ever. That includes the atmospherics. I've mentioned the rain :) Our esteemed provider of drinks remarked it would be quite eerie to take off the headphones only to realise it was indeed raining outside, pattering away on the rooftop. Indeed.

The next night, despite it getting late and work and school due next morning I was encouraged to another round. Can't remember the map we settled on, but man... I won our 20 frag limit, but it was like... so even all the way. Almost one for one and some of the encounters were hair-raising to say the least. Coming round the corner and... BOOOOM shanker! Well, that's the end of me, thanks to be point blank shot from a shotty, loaded with darts. Flechettes can be quite painful. Another one was a grenade launcher duel on a stairwell. Yes... I know, that's what hand grenades are for... but in games you're having fun and don't do things you'd do in real life. I only managed to win that one by the skin of my teeth and didn't even know I'd survived until I saw the body of my humbled enemy before me. Then there was the shot in the back from a Winny 1300. Not very nice at all and extremely convincing :)

Now - if in close contact with the enemy, do ensure to throw or launch grenades behind them, so their bodies absorb more of the blast and shield you from it. Shake, rattle and roll... was that the conclusion wave or a phrase to remind us of the humble hand grenade's short life?

Oh what a lovely virtual war.

Top ^

SDK

25 May 2007

Comments by juni0r

Oblivion Lost has the SDK for Mod developers available now.

http://www.oblivion-lost.de/download/xray-sdk-setup-v0.4.exe

Have not had a chance to dig into this yet but there promises to be plenty of tools here to modify maps and create your own. Bear in mind, according to the official site this is a beta. Therefore it is likely to be quite buggy, but certainly be enough to provide an idea of both final releases and the potential locked inside the game. Looking forward to getting into this. And during the break from a little work and much study... there should be time.

Top ^

Hard Times in Radsville

13 May 2007

Comments by juni0r

WARNING : MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Well, after my first twelve hours of adventure and chaos in The Zone, my next insertion into this fabulous virtual world was somewhat less progressive and very intense. Low ammo and hardened opponents (many quite mindless in their zombified states) made it a "save-every-two-minutes" kind of season. Sure makes you think things out both in lethal encounters and in regards what jobs you decide to take on. Getting back up topside and to the barkeep at 100 Rads was a lifesaver.

Got that mission to take out the sniper for Freedom which you see in the Mega Gaming video (very cool, though it be in German and I canny understand it). Was very cool to be going up the hill and partaking in what I'd seen as I eagerly awaited my first go at the game. Sadly though, when we all stood together, saluting the big cheese to go and do the follow up mission, jogging up the hill, to blow out the wall and enter the camp, it was a no go and I bugged out. Decided right there I needed a scoped rifle to do things properly so it was time to leave town. Even though I did this it didn't have an detrimental effects dealing with these jokers later on. Oddly enough I informed on Freedom's movements to Duty, and was working for both parties, be it more or less passively. Very limited bloodshed so was able to get away with it.

Testing emissions with the scientist I had previously rescued wasn't so hard, though taking down zombie stalkers isn't the easiest thing in the world even if they move stereotypically slow. They ain't much for dyin' these undead types.

Not long after, outside the laboratory I whacked a sole Freedom Faction guy... simply because he had a Groza and I really wanted it. Was like he was out door-knocking for the cause. Being that he was alone no one was there to tell his mates and thus there was no negative repercussions. The guy in the bunker had a Groza up for sale which I couldn't afford so I took the less financially impinging option, be it a little messier.

This bullpup 9x39mm rifle is great, hits hard, and has the BG-15 under-mount grenade launcher. But for some reason, as much as I tried, couldn't get the PSO-1 scope mounted on it. Suck. Yet you can do this in MP mode. Interestingly there is a Zone modified version which fires 5.45mm (why?) yet there is a 7.62mm version in real life (using AKM magazines appropriately enough) but it doesn't feature :( So, this might have to be remedied in modding efforts later. Finally managed to find Ghost's body and grab his documents for the barkeep. Was it for him? I can't remember.

Having to deactivate a huge emitter system was a major mission coming back up to the surface, having three systems to turn off each in order then a final unplugging of the machine, if you will. Nasty boys wanting to ventilate your skull at every level, attacking from above and below you doesn't help. Along the way there are anomalies that want to turn you into deep-fried corpse, appearing in the most inconvenient spots as you climb ladders and take the incoming gunfire. Darkness is countered by a head-mounted torch but I prefer the black as opposed a big beacon that says "here I am, take a shot". The enemy contacts wearing such headlamps is one thing but its difficult to try and bag them above you while taking on multiple hostiles with minimal cover. After you turn off the emitter there is a cut scene which features this guy Strelok who is your main target in the game - though you yet know for what reason. After that, fresh air is great, be it the geiger counter beep-generating kind. Well, not exactly fresh then is it...

By the time I got topside again I was staving and seriously out of ammo. Half way through the tunnels realised I had about 200 rounds for the Makarov. Rubbish as, but its better than a good gat without any ammo, except that the latter makes a better club. I might suggest that one should be able to go melee on a zombie's arse with a rifle (or pistol whip), in hand to hand, for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The lab bunker was surrounded by zombie bandits and stalkers. Running low on bang doesn't help. Neither do radiation hotspots.

Helped protect territory borders with a group, though can't remember who they were. Balaclavas and wearing camouflage uniforms, though not military, and were armed with G36 rifles. Nice to have that option. Further on more sniper problems and well equipped scumbags of The Zone, and plenty of electrical (primarily it seemed) anomalies. It was become a bit of a hotbed for radiation here as well as I moved through the level. Unfortunately the G36 doesn't have a 3 round burst so a small modification should fix that. Also, have to figure out how to change the reticle so we can pop in the real one. Keep it authentic like the PSO-1 and that of the RPG.

On the way back through from whence I had come went down into the village where the bandits where in my first major encounter - the map which you find (or at least part of it) in MP. Got attacked by a bloodsucker in broad daylight. Quite vicious alright. Had to bug out before I got slaughtered. Low and behold, later on when I was talking to some Duty guys got the option of a mission to take two of them out back there. It was like, nope, not this time round pal. Also in the Duty camp I saw this guy who had a rifle in a vice in his room. Well, apparently someone does weapon modifications or something about there so this was probably him.

All in all more adventure than your average stalker can handle this time round. But with a little rest, replenishment of supplies and a few sips of Vodka the next round should be a bit more progressive and a little less painful.

Blood-soaked manual

Kryton and I have produced our first Mod. Just the first version it gives you the real world names for weapons and deals with some errors in info on ammo and such like. Didn't take long to work out what files we needed to edit. Essentially that's all it is - but just a beginning in exploring the power and potential of this fine game we have become so immersed in. The vision is to get onto an RPK-74, simply a long-barreled LMG version of the standard Russian rifle, then try a MP7 PDW - including the required new ammo type, and move on from there. Much to do and learn. Creative powers of modding pouring forth.

Top ^

Patch v1.0003

12 May 2007

Comments by juni0r

The much expected next patch is out. Most of it just cleans up minor glitches. It's not so big either at 9Mb.

Various bugs are dealt with, as are potential crashes, story-line mission errors and some networking issues. You can grab it from the following URL:

http://www.oblivion-lost.ge/download/patches/stk-ww-1-3.exe

Top ^

GPMGs and LMGs in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

07 May 2007

Comments by juni0r

What follows is in parallel to the Diary entry for the specific gaming page.

Later on in the day I get a text from my mate about his wishing there was a GPMG (that's a General Purpose Machine Gun for you folks out there who aren't familiar with the jargon) in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. He text me last night regard ing having gone right to top of the rankings. He's been playing a great deal recently. He also said today about the desire to go prone and have a bipod option. Yip... most definitely. Much like Day of Defeat. I think these are the only things missing tactically wise. Which is pretty incredible considering the enormity of the game. He also wished for a LMG (yes, you guessed it a Light Machine Gun). I would suggest (as I have elsewhere) for The Zone, to keep things in vogue, a PK, the obvious choice, and a RPK-74 respectively.

The PK is shown in the Direct X 9.1 Firefight video from a while back, fixed positional at some sandbags. The RPK is simply the associated rifle of the family with a extended barrel and bipod, no change out though, which makes it a bit limited as a LMG. It uses extended magazines. Overheating barrels (as in DoD) would not go amiss, helping with game balance. You can see a pic of a PK below.

Truth is, if I had a choice of LMG it would be the classic Bren in traditional .303. There are still thousands of these things floating about, and the Brits used them rechambered to 7.62mm NATO for years. My old man was a Bren gunner so it might have something to do with it. No, doubtful, but it was considered by many to be the perfect weapon of type. Perhaps its only fault was in that it was too accurate. Yes, too accurate, for its role, which is to lay down suppressive fire.

I forgot to mention, down in the tunnels during my 12 Hours in The Zone I encountered the Controller. Some people have remarked its impossible to deal with this guy - well, its not impossible at all. You have a way out, you just have to take it and not get wound up in what's going on.

Top ^

12 Hours in The Zone

30 April 2007

Comments by juni0r

WARNING : MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

So its not my next novel or some short story but I will enjoy writing this none the less. But, it is about some adventure, in a virtual world, which I am thoroughly enjoying. Its all about an ever-developing narrative, the player (reader) creating it as they play.

Got a mission to kill some soldier from a guy at the 100 Rads. It can be dangerous if you don't watch where you're going to get to him as there is quite hard radiation levels about. Have to watch your step. Honestly thought I'd got it wrong after hearing this guy's sob story. Whacked him anyway and was called back to collect my reward. This told me I was on the right track. He was some kid who deserted from a recce unit. Seems like he'd made his home in the middle of this radiation hotspot to keep away from everyone, in this old train carriage.

I ended up picking up a rifle for someone, a family heirloom or something, when a guy in the 100 Rads asked me to go and get it back for him. Odd that it was a AK-74 with a BG-15 unmount. Sad that I had no ammo for the 40 milly. Still, got it back to this fella and made a few quid. Dealt to a few bandits on the way there. What they lack in skill, they make up for enthusiasm in the fight.

One mission was to collect documents at a laboratory. Going underground into this place was genuinely creepy and involved my first encounter with a bloodsucker. Tough as, these mutants tend to turn invisible, all you can see is a rough shimmer, then they get close in trying their best to rip you apart. A couple of good quality bursts from your rifle does the trick but man... Also down there was some fireball moving around - then I realised this humanoid type shape in amongst the flames. I fired. I fired again... and again. Eventually this pyromania problem left me. Very cool effects, and a tricky problem to solve without the benefits of asbestos underwear!

On minimal settings still the lighting effects, the shadows, are a sight to behold. Hanging out to play on an even med-range spec machine. The visual experience already goes beyond my expectations. Don't hold back, even if you've only got an older machine.

Fighting bandits and soldiers with a humble double barreled sawn off back towards the start is not the way to go, ideally. Up close, its the bee's knees though. The MP5 on the other hand is a bit more the story. For some reason it has a 2 round burst. Mixed it up with the new UMP models. Doesn't hit too hard being 9mm, but aiming is good and one burst to the head will sometimes do the business. Was having a good run and this is definitely one of my favourites. Just don't bother using it against properly armoured soldiers. Against bandits who have rough makeshift armour its adequate for its intended purpose. More range than their sawn-offs, but they use Hecklers as well.

Down a manhole cover into an underground network for my first tunnel experience. Grenades are great (as many of you will know) in confined spaces. The close quarters encounters are very brief and very deadly though, so thinking before stepping out is good. Yes, you have a head lamp, but better to leave it off, and take advantage of your opponents' use of them. Even better than muzzle flash to aim at. But again, they don't like being shot so they dart around. Expect fleeting targets. Grenades hurt you as well, funnily enough, and even when they don't, the shaking effects of the concussion wave is an experience to behold. Like getting drunk on the Vodka, only... more of a vibration than the gentle art of a swaying intoxication. I watched the guy's mate at the entrance for a moment before going below. Cool as, he does the old cowboy pistol twirl while he stands around looking menacing in his balaclava. I had a feeling it would have been nice to take a couple of these boys with me down the hole. Wasn't mistaken and it ended up being quite a few pitched battles going on.

The 100 Rads Bar is a hangout where you pick up missions from the barkeep there. And quite possibly a few other boys who are drowning their sorrows in various ways with, well, mostly GSC Game World Vodka. On the way in, don't be surprised if you get mauled by rabid dogs. Always have a fresh mag in the gat and hope you can get to the sentry post. Drawn weapons are shunned but won't get you killed unless you open up... in which case you deserve what you get. The Swedish feathers are good idea, placed in the ditch there because sometimes these does decide they're gonna try it on en masse. The AI really shows itself off here with the determination of the pack, yet, if the numbers are low and you fire off a few shots, they bug out quick smart. Sometimes it doesn't happen like that though and they have a death wish. If your health is low its the last thing you need, especially so close to a safe haven.

Arnie is your friendly Arena guy who takes care of your kit if you decide to head there for a few extra Rubles. Good way to get some cash if business has been a bit rough. You can get to the trading stations and realise you have stuff all worth to trade and precious few pennies so its the place to go before you do some shopping. The first couple of rounds are easy enough but it gets progressively harder here where you go up against other blokes, to the death, for the sole aforementioned purpose. Life is tough in The Zone.

Ended up hunting out both military documents and a stash, the latter provided information about Strelok, who is a dude you wanna kill from the outset. This is all part of a major subplot. So you want to slot this joker, find out who you are and what you're doing in The Zone, and discover the mysteries of the place. You have a convenient dose of amnesia after being found alive, amongst a heap of corpses which came off a wrecked truck, one of many responsible for collecting up the dead of The Zone. You take things like these documents back to the barkeep or the dealer and get aptly rewarded for your efforts while gaining little bits and pieces of the puzzle along the way.

Also had to kill some military jokers and rescue this guy by the name of Mole. Gets you on the good side of one of the factions, if I remember correctly. Same goes for freeing a guy by the name of Dutyer, after you and his mate Bullet set a hasty ambush. Silly buggers shouldn't have been wandering down a road like that. And succeeding in that leads to another job on from this. This is one example of how you can win allegiance with one of the factions. In this case, Duty. Because S.T.A.L.K.E.R. allows you to choose how you manage such things, you could just as easily make enemies out of these guys at any stage by attacking them. Word soon gets around. Making enemies doesn't really do you any favours, but making friends of course will often make you enemies of your allies' enemies. Life is hard, stay out of The Zone... or buy a helmet.

All your missions or objectives don't necessarily come from jobs allocated to you by NPCs in the game. Sometimes, like for example in the lab X18, you need to discover the code for a couple of electronically locked bulkhead type doors. So you have an internal task which allows you to move on within a particular subplot. All in all, I only discovered one tricky bit where it took several times to load me into the next part of a mission path, and only one error with regards the dialogue of a joker I was yakking to. It ended up just looping - that is, it allowed me to ask the same question time and time again. No problem, you just bug out and move on.

Am up to rescuing this scientist dude, an ecologist named Professor Kruglov, from these mercenary jokers. Firefights galore. Tough fellows, armed with, by standard, the LR300. It seems they can shoot straighter than the average bandit, perhaps even better than the soldiers encountered thus far.

Am hoping they haven't made the LR300 the "super" rifle of the game. In some games, for marketing purposes, the M16 is made out to be far better than it really is. Personally I'm hanging out for the G36. But an AK-74 with BG-15 and a PSO-1 scope will do me well until then.

The LR300 is an alternative version with improved features but in the end, it is still, more or less, an M16. Have got to use it and it seems pretty good in-game. But not overly so, so thinking its that, as I've moved through the game, these guys are just more capable. They can shoot better and also they're pretty tough. Body armour is good. It stops you bleeding a lot even if it does slow you down. The scientists were wearing bright orange noddy suits and carrying SA80s of all things. Must have been Poms.

The things I mention aren't sequential but should be be enough to present a good impression of the scope and gameplay capacity for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. In any case, the gameplay methodology means that a player can do missions in different orders, ignore them, or have them time out on them (if they have to be done in a limited time). Another beauty of the game. I've done things in twelve odd hours which others who have played for double or treble that time haven't done. Others have played half the time and had encounters, done missions I've yet to do.

Like I've said, you feel wet when its raining. Shadows make you wonder if someone is sneaking up behind you. Howling dogs need to be put out of their misery, and the thunder and lightening effects are seriously atmospheric. Bolts are good for detecting anomolies. Most of them don't kill you but they can severely mess you up. But seeing animals get ripped apart by meatgrinders is enough to press caution. I was being chased by mutant pigs and lured them into one. Handy.

Even if you're not into gaming, or this kind of gaming in particular, the First Person Shooter (FPS), or Roleplaying Games (RPG) I'd thoroughly recommend having a look just on this basis alone. It makes you wonder if the developers are holding back on technology, which might make it just too realistic. If anyone wants serious time away from the real world (and doesn't mind getting freaked out) then this is one surefire route to take. Its worth buying a PC just to play.

Freed up two maps from the MP Beta, the Pool and another one... Dark Valley? by entering a code. And also four skins; German, US, Brits, and French. Nice to have different fashion options. Still, Kiwi DPM would be nice. Have to get into this modding business. Do up an Aussie jellybean pattern as well perhaps. The original four options are not much different from each other, and surprisingly no military ones either. Need some Spetsnaz or Interior Ministry, or even just CA type uniforms.

Or though I was keen to get into the modding scene with Ghost Recon and even earlier, Rogue Spear, nothing eventuated. Takes a lot of time to learn the processes, but sure is another substantial creative outlet. But this time around, after looking at some of those files and remembering some of the tutorials I've read in the past, definitely want to make a go of it. Hardware (military), graphics, and a love of gaming all gel together to inspire a major project for the gaming community. Might even be able to direct it in line with my studies. Now there's an idea...

Sure S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is an action game, but its also a thinking game, it deals with economics, and it can remind you just how terrifying the real world can be. Stalkers exist and their job is a very horrific one. Many have died in the monitoring of the Chernobyl reactor. The consequences of the world's most devastating nuclear accident to date will be with us for time infinitum. If this PC game was only to remind us, to make the people aware of such things, it has well and truly done its job. This is one of the many reasons I believe it is worth far more than the $89.95 I paid for it.

Screen Dumps

some of my adventures...

Top ^

Concept Art

20 April 2007

Comments by juni0r

"You need money so you don’t have to think about money."

Redrick Schuhart

Roadside Picnic

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

It has taken a very long time for the PC game fraternity to produce something surpassing Alien vs. Predator 2 in the atmospheric stakes.

If you want to realise a dream... it takes a heck of a lot of this sort of thing...

Concept Art 13

Images from the Bonus DVD - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. SE

First Impressions

15 April 2007

Comments by juni0r

There are other things that are probably more productive, other things more conducive to my well-being, that I could be doing right now, but after more than four years of following this game (as the relevant pages of this site will attest) a good mate was able to get a system together of various parts to enable the playing, be it a bit rough round the edges, of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl. My comments are in no way bias towards this period of time spend waiting. I'm a veteran gamer of both the computer and the conventional codes and regardless of this rocky initial road After a few hours yesterday on the 2215 Build MP Beta on two machines, after about an hour of pulling out boards here, freeing up page-file space there... it was time to see if the game would run. Sure enough, after a few tense moments and quite a session of throwing files in the trash, we had the splash of this long awaited title on screen before us.

I would have to say that most of the complaints coming out about this quite evolutionary title (not quite revolutionary but certainly a push in the right direction) tend to either based around technological issues or ones of personal expectation based on the style of game and resultant game-play. If you think one only needs to hit someone once or twice in the chest with a pistol to drop someone then real world reflecting ballistics of your average 9mm pistol is not your thing. You are expecting a different kind of game. This is the same for even a high velocity rifle, particularly something in 5.56mm NATO. Ask most who have used these weapons in real combat, and your multiple hit requirements, and difficulty to hit targets, particularly without aiming, its a very tricky business indeed. Also, people, and animals, tend not to want to be hit so moving a lot is good, making the job of the shooter even harder. This, I think, on first inspection, is well shown in the game. No problems. At some stage it would be nice to have a specific map for testing the ballistics, a range butts if you will. Moving targets, various types of cover and dummies to see how well things are modeled, but yeah, all sweet as so far.

Asides from one area where there was a indoor firefight, pretty intense, things didn't get too chunky. It was reasonable enough to play, even on a card which wasn't a specified card to run S.T.A.L.K.E.R. according to my mate. Well, the above remarks on ballistics suggest that it was hard work, and it was. A thinking player's game, and quality AI. I only saw one actual glitch in regards this when a guy went round in circles close by for a short moment or two. One guy kept firing away to his front, through cover (as opposed over it, a good thing) at an ally of The Marked One, while he came around the back. He whacked the guy a few times and he was taken down. Now, some would complain... why didn't he swing around as he was being flanked? Well, he is focused on his target, there is a great deal going on, and noisy gunfire and so on.

People get flanked like this all the time in real life so to me it was quite plausible. In the course of several initial hours of both playing and watching I've seen flanking, rushing a position, withdrawal, people and animals being cornered and only fighting their way out because they had to. This is all stuff I've not experienced before. Half Life 2 didn't offer it, even though such AI was championed before its release. A real ecosystem, mutant dogs grabbing bodies for food, others scampering away under fear of being shot, others coming in and trying to rip you to bits. Bandits attacking, or bandits just getting on with their own business. The promises have been met.

There were some clipping issues of weapons in third person, barrels going off at 90 degrees, that sort of thing. Loss of some weapons' skins in first person, so you couldn't use their iron sights, making it very hard to hit a target, having to fire from the hip using the crosshair. Same as in 2215, but with scoped weapons the reticle was there for aimed fire. This was all because of a below spec video card. Soon to be remedied.

The reasonable times it took to load levels, due to machine specs, was not a downer for a totally enthralling gaming experience. Grass blows in the wind, thunder cracks across the sky. Rain patters endlessly on open ceiling rooftops of countless ruined buildings - you feel like you're really getting soaked. It gets darker as night approaches and soldiers don head mounted torches.

Wooden boxes (and on the rare occasion goodies can be found) are destructible, glass breaks realistically, peoples' bodies can be searched, by yourself and by other inhabitants, and they can even be dragged away, to be used as ploys or hidden to conceal your covert approach to other would-be belligerent types. Even friendlies get twitchy if you're waving a weapon around while trying to have a conversation or trade items. Be nice and people will at least leave you alone. If you help them out money or later assistance could be the reward. Be nasty, pick a fight, and just remember one thing... you bleed, and bleeding is not good.

So the RPG elements are quite restricted when compared to a purely RPG game but this is an unfair expectation when it was not intended to be major part, only a vehicle to help drive a fuller gaming experience which I think it does nicely. Conversations with NPCs are limited but you can't expect universal possibilities here. It drives the various narratives forward and does it well enough. Like pure FPS, shoot 'em up, if you want pure classic RPG then this isn't where its at. It also makes a good use of inventory for managing your weapons, ammo, equipment, medical supplies, artefacts and various other bits and pieces. Role-playing elements are kept simple and they work.

The Zone is not a nice place to be and the developers have worked very hard to make sure you know it right from the get go, even before you start getting shot at by anyone.

People have complained about the dialogue boxes, about the Russian in the background. Its based in Ukraine. What was expected. The development team come from another part of the majority audiences' world. If you want to play Quake 4 Arena or whatever number they're up to, go do it. If you want 100% health, super mini-guns and what have you, that's your call. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a different sort of game and always was meant to be. I've found the RPG elements of narrative to be most enjoyable, and it quite a challenge to sort of Radiation, much less bandaging up fast during a firefight. Its a challenge and reminds you how lethal combat is, especially when you're on your own and got limited resources. Its really something that needs to be done with several mates. Double barrel sawn off shotguns against men with submachine guns, or Heaven forbid, assault rifles, is not a fun day out. Sure, the action can be frustrating, but its how it is meant to be. About thinking, particularly in the action.

At one stage our character just kept on dying, from radiation poisoning, despite getting the anti-rad doses and yes... Vodka. It was a artefact we were carrying on our belt (where they must be carried to have an effect, in this case a lethal one). So it was good to work that out and drop it into the pack. Hopefully wrapped in a lead cloth! All to sell to The Dealer or some fellow stalker later on in the piece.
There have been several scraps with bandit groups, both solo and allied to stalker clans. We've bribed bored soldiers at the cordon, done little jobs for a few personalities on the border of The Zone and taken out countless very ill, skinny looking dogs. Getting to grips with the PDA which hasn't really been a problem at all (another typical complaint of critics) and learning the ways of trading has all made for a fun, entertaining and exciting first few hours in the world of this great new virtual world S.T.A.L.K.E.R. in so many ways of course, very much like our own.

Congraduations to GSC Game World after such a very long journey of your own. Watch for patches as the bugs are ironed out. My first experience was full of them yet the extremely immersive world that has been created is just beyond anything I've struck before, far in excess of what was required to be hooked. The day / night cycle, the AI of computer opponents, the behaviour of animals, the presence of alien anomalies and the extensive narrative all come together for one really breathtaking virtual ride in a world of post-apocalptic survival. All in all, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has turned out to be everything I have expected it to be. Soon I'll be able to play it on an up to spec machine, and be getting far deeper into The Zone as time permits. Will be sure and let you know how the journey progresses.

Top ^

Jacking Systems, 2215 Build, Guidebook... and availability.

06 April 2007

Comments by juni0r

Got a call from my mate today to say he's tailored up two systems now which can run the old 2215 Build of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. MP. There is just a little more work to do on his main system so we can run the game. Sorting out power supplies, hard drives that won't crash and pulling video cards from one machine to install into another all takes time. A bit of a jumble eh.

Called into EB Games last night to see about the guidebook for the game, the guy there said if you can run it you'll love it. Simply put it reflects the overwhelmingly positive feedback the game has got since its few days of release. Also, he was wearing a Stalker tie... nope, very limited edition for the distributors... I almost cried I couldn't get one... and anyone who knows me knows I don't wear ties! The Official Game Guide is advertised in the back of the manual for the game. Put out by Prima Games these jokers put out the HALO 2 guide I brought a couple of years back. Apparently, due to changes in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. over the last year or so before release they may well be working the changes in, thus the lack of availability.

http://www.primagames.com

Top ^

Positive Views, Atmosphere, Replay Potential... and the first patch.

02 April 2007

Comments by juni0r

This weekend past I've been unable to crank up the game despite having got my mitts on it. A mate and I have our plans set out in what is necessary to get a machine up to spec, and eventually two, for MP. With a few new videos and several fresh initial reviews we're more determined than ever to get into the Zone but you can't have everything instantly. Been hanging out for five years so I'm supposing another week, maybe two, isn't such a bother.

Here is just small sample to give an impression of what people are saying: