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[Zenith]

I think this game is seriously overrated. all the things people are egging like the atmosphere and stuff are really intangible things that aren't going to counter any of the gameplay issues stalker has.

I expect to see many threads in the future where some will mention how much they loved/hated stalker and someone will pipe up how much they thought the opposite was true. will also appear on many "most overrated/biggest disappointments" lists on IGN/gamesradar

 

[Sander]

I think I'm running into what Valve would call combat fatigue. Seems like every 10 steps I take new annoying baddies are on my ass. Just cleared a complex which took like half an hour (very fun though, tried different strategies, slowly taking out enemies one by one) and after something like that I really could use a breather. With the guns I have so far it takes quite a bit of time/patience to efficiently take down enemies, so it gets quite tiring after a while.

 

[Y2Kev]

Hey guys,

Technical question. Can I install this onto an external drive and play or no? Is that possible at all actually? I'm kind of out of space and I hear it takes 10 gb.

 

[Leonsito]

BTW, this is a flash animation of the new "sarcophagus": http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/graficos/abr/s4/chernobil.html

 

[Drek]

I think I'm running into what Valve would call combat fatigue. Seems like every 10 steps I take new annoying baddies are on my ass. Just cleared a complex which took like half an hour (very fun though, tried different strategies, slowly taking out enemies one by one) and after something like that I really could use a breather. With the guns I have so far it takes quite a bit of time/patience to efficiently take down enemies, so it gets quite tiring after a while.

Yeah, and it doesn't seem to ever end. Just constant harassment by hordes of bandits. I have more ammo than a gun shop but damn its frustrating to spend 30 minutes cleaning out a half dozen bandits only to have bandits back there not an hour later when I come back through.

They really nailed the atmosphere of this game but the pacing sucks. In Elder Scrolls I could stomach grinding battles because there was some character advancement, in this its just "oh yay, another couple of guys to shoot, more stuff I can't carry. Weeee."

Frustrating game so far.

 

[Mrbob]

Yeah I was about to mention the same thing.

I cleared out the area with Bes (thanks for the tip!), finished the mission, and afterward when I thought the area was clear I've been bombarded with what seems an infinite number of respawning bandits. What the **** leave me alone for a bit! :lol

 

[Defcon]

I'm just glad I got it for $30 at Target. Was able to sell it back off at $25, so didn't really lose all that much on it.

Aside from the great atmosphere, the game flat out sucks. I don't think I care much for single player games anymore though. They all bore me after a hour.

The multiplayer is possibly the most piss poor thing I've ever played. Dunno if it's the netcode or what, but people skate around at 100mph and it's near impossible to get a kill unless they freeze up due to even worse lag.

 

[Chiggs]

Once you have the sniper scope, clearing baddies is more fun.

On another note: I was done clearing that bandit base in the Dark Valley, when I looked out the window with my binoculars and saw a group of about seven bandits making their way back to where I was. I just think that's kind of cool. I love seeing stuff like that, and I like the fact at Apogram, when you clear it out, a chopper will drop more troops in. That just makes it far more realistic, because that's what would happen.

Anomalies, radiation, bandits, mutants, soldiers--you're just never really safe in this game.

 

[GSG Flash]

It's only 6 gigs installed, but it opens up some archives while you play supposedly. You have nothing to worry about if you ran Episode 1 smoothly, that is, as long as you play with static lighting. Probably any computer built in the last 3 years can run it in DX8.

...oh, and no demo is going to be released. They said they couldn't do it because of the A-life system.

Damn no demo, I wanna really try this game but something tells me it will be ****ed up majorly on Vista with a 7900 GT

 

[Fallout-NL]

Once you have the sniper scope, clearing baddies is more fun.

On another note: I was done clearing that bandit base in the Dark Valley, when I looked out the window with my binoculars and saw a group of about seven bandits making their way back to where I was. I just think that's kind of cool. I love seeing stuff like that, and I like the fact at Apogram, when you clear it out, a chopper will drop more troops in. That just makes it far more realistic, because that's what would happen.

Anomalies, radiation, bandits, mutants, soldiers--you're just never really safe in this game.

True, thats the way to look at it really, you're not going to enjoy this game otherwise.

 

[FlyinJ]

I think I'm running into what Valve would call combat fatigue. Seems like every 10 steps I take new annoying baddies are on my ass. Just cleared a complex which took like half an hour (very fun though, tried different strategies, slowly taking out enemies one by one) and after something like that I really could use a breather. With the guns I have so far it takes quite a bit of time/patience to efficiently take down enemies, so it gets quite tiring after a while.

Sounds like you need a

 

[OatmealMu]

It feels like there's two extremes in terms of combat probability. You're either surrounded by enemies (outside) or rarely run into any (indoors). There are moments where you'll run into hordes of enemies while indoors, but those moments are generally scripted.

 

[EmSeta]

The hell.. I'm trying to play Stalker on my Macbook Pro (Radeon X1600 256MB, 2GB RAM) and I have to go down to MINIMAL settings to get a decent framerate. The same computer played Oblivion at almost max settings without issues, along with Prey (max settings) and Quake 4 (max settings).

What gives? Is Stalker just that badly optimized?

 

[AIRic]

Awesome game! It was one of my most anticipated games and It delivered! It was my first PC game I bought this year so far, and I don't regret it. I won't touch my Wii for a looong time.

I'm not sure if it's a bug or not, but I need help. ->

Spoiler

I'm in a high room with a huge rotating stairs. On the top of the stairs, you have a switch on a control panel facing a weird fetus-like monster floating in liquid. It says to press "F" to activate it, but nothing seems to work. There is also a locked door with what look to be a card reading device not far from there. It also look like my character is hallucinating badly. What I have to do?

 

[Reikon]

I got my copy today, I hope my computer can handle it.

On another note, I'm so glad NA publishers are now starting to make their games DVD-only. I hated swapping CDs while installing. They finally seemed to realize that 99% of people who can play their newest games have a DVD drive.

 

[Avalon]

I think I'm running into what Valve would call combat fatigue. Seems like every 10 steps I take new annoying baddies are on my ass. Just cleared a complex which took like half an hour (very fun though, tried different strategies, slowly taking out enemies one by one) and after something like that I really could use a breather. With the guns I have so far it takes quite a bit of time/patience to efficiently take down enemies, so it gets quite tiring after a while.

Then pick your battles carefully. You don't need to fight enemies just because they are shooting at you. Some locations are definitely not worth taking and you can sneak through a lot of enemy groups by just taking out the ones that are in the way with silenced weapons.

 

[OatmealMu]

Awesome game! It was one of my most anticipated games and It delivered! It was my first PC game I bought this year so far, and I don't regret it. I won't touch my Wii for a looong time.

I'm not sure if it's a bug or not, but I need help. ->

Spoiler

I'm in a high room with a huge rotating stairs. On the top of the stairs, you have a switch on a control panel facing a weird fetus-like monster floating in liquid. It says to press "F" to activate it, but nothing seems to work. There is also a locked door with what look to be a card reading device not far from there. It also look like my character is hallucinating badly. What I have to do?

I assume you got all the switches before it? There's 3 in total, IIRC.

 

[AIRic]

I assume you got all the switches before it? There's 3 in total, IIRC.

Thanks! When I saw the timer, I ran all the way to the top. I thought those control panels were just decoration, I didn't even remember them. :lol

 

[Chiggs]

More screenshots!

 

[OatmealMu]

Thanks! When I saw the timer, I ran all the way to the top. I thought those control panels were just decoration, I didn't even remember them. :lol

Yeah, they don't stick out like switches normally do in games. Oh, and FYI, if you go back through the entrance the timer stops. It makes dealing with the

Spoiler

zombies inside easier.

Just get their attention, sit back, and watch some Snork porn on your PDA.

 

[GSG Flash]

More screenshots!

You might've already posted them, if so, sorry for asking, but can you post your specs? I'm curious about the specs of your system.

 

[Redbeard]

Ugh. I just rescued some scientist from a helicopter crash and I'm supposed to follow him out of the area... but he just stands there. Am I missing out on any nice gear by failing that mission?

 

[Chiggs]

You might've already posted them, if so, sorry for asking, but can you post your specs? I'm curious about the specs of your system.

Sure.

Core 2 Duo e6300 @ stock
2 gigs of DDR2 PC-6400 in Dual Channel
Audigy 2 ZS
Geforce 7900 GS @ 475 clock/680 memory.

The funny things is, I'm only running object dynamic lighting, which isn't even the highest setting. Furthermore, I don't have everything maxed out, either (like grass detail, grass shadows, sun shadows and AA/AF). This game will look good for years to come.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Chiggs, can you post a screenshot of your advanced graphics options sliders so I can let my friend try 'em out. What's your framerate like with them?

 

[Chiggs]

Outside, I'm around 25-35 fps. Inside, I'm around 35-45fps.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Thanks much!

 

[avcables]

Performance details:
- Computer specs:
2GB DDR2-SDRAM 800MHz
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
NVIDIA GeForce 7950GT 512MB (Latest driver)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. settings:
Render: Full dynamic lighting
Resolution: 1600x1200 Fullscreen
Vistion distance: 100%
Objects distance: 80%
Grass density: 30%
Textures detail: 100%
Sun shadow
Lighting distance: 25%
Shadows quality: 25%

Outside I get roughly 30-40fps, while inside I get 35-45fps. I started playing this game the day it came out and wasn't really in the mood to be playing, so I was pretty unimpressed. But now that I'm in a fresh state of mind I've really started to get into it. I'm still in the beginning area of the game doing the easy tasks that I've been assigned, but it's already apparent how involved this game gets you. I'm having a bit of trouble now getting in the room to talk to the trader, though. I'm trying to turn in the task of killing the stalker he told me to. Is there a particular situation you have to be in in order to get inside his room?

 

[tegdf]

Performance details:
- Computer specs:
2GB DDR2-SDRAM 800MHz
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
NVIDIA GeForce 7950GT 512MB (Latest driver)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. settings:
Render: Full dynamic lighting
Resolution: 1600x1200 Fullscreen
Vistion distance: 100%
Objects distance: 80%
Grass density: 30%
Textures detail: 100%
Sun shadow
Lighting distance: 25%
Shadows quality: 25%

Outside I get roughly 30-40fps, while inside I get 35-45fps. I started playing this game the day it came out and wasn't really in the mood to be playing, so I was pretty unimpressed. But now that I'm in a fresh state of mind I've really started to get into it. I'm still in the beginning area of the game doing the easy tasks that I've been assigned, but it's already apparent how involved this game gets you. I'm having a bit of trouble now getting in the room to talk to the trader, though. I'm trying to turn in the task of killing the stalker he told me to. Is there a particular situation you have to be in in order to get inside his room?

I never had any problems getting inside his room, are you sure your standing in front of the door and the message to hit F comes up?

 

[FartOfWar]

That about sums it up. One thing, though: I have to disagree with the guy from EA--S.T.A.L.K.E.R. does not strike me as a budget title. But I guess some people equate scripting and quality voiceovers to large budgets. Believe me, I can see why, but I still gotta disagree.

Christ, I can't wait to play this game with my R600 this summer.

Edit: Funny story from last night. I was strolling through Garbage when I found myself in a fairly large firefight. This one bandit tried to flank me, but instead ran right into an anomaly. He was lifted into the air and was spun around hundreds of times, then was sent flying about fifty feet away. His screams were priceless.

Who at EA said Stalker should be budget? **** that noise, name an MOH as good.

 

[FartOfWar]

I think this game is seriously overrated. all the things people are egging like the atmosphere and stuff are really intangible things that aren't going to counter any of the gameplay issues stalker has.

I expect to see many threads in the future where some will mention how much they loved/hated stalker and someone will pipe up how much they thought the opposite was true. will also appear on many "most overrated/biggest disappointments" lists on IGN/gamesradar

Intagible? Stalker's atmosphere is part of its gameplay.

 

[Kabouter]

Who at EA said Stalker should be budget? **** that noise, name an MOH as good.

EA is Evil Avatar in this case
I'm fairly certain Electronic Arts is smart enough to not comment on other people's games.

 

[Avalon]

Ah, I missed it!

Thanks for linking to the widescreen fix Chiggs, now I can play the game the right way.

EDIT: What the... every time I use the thing to fix the FOV my character gets really hungry really fast and dies.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Wow, that's crazy. Sounds like built-in cheat proofing. That way, no one gets an unfairly wide look in multi. Should let both single and multiplayer use it. Just filter games for WS or not so people know who's got what kind of view on the action, just like many games set up user controlled-filters that let people see who's using third person and who's not.

 

[OatmealMu]

The accelerated hunger thing seems like a common problem. I recall reading about a fix for it, but I can't remember exactly what to do. Hope I helped!

 

[FlyinJ]

The accelerated hunger thing seems like a common problem. I recall reading about a fix for it, but I can't remember exactly what to do. Hope I helped!

I thought it had to do with me sprinting with no endurance loss. I have two artifacts on my belt that basically make it so I can sprint constantly.

It seemed like a good tradeoff... I can sprint with no endurance loss, but I have to find food more than usual. It gave me something to spend the ridiculous amount of money I have on.

 

[OatmealMu]

I thought it had to do with me sprinting with no endurance loss. I have two artifacts on my belt that basically make it so I can sprint constantly.

It seemed like a good tradeoff... I can sprint with no endurance loss, but I have to find food more than usual. It gave me something to spend the ridiculous amount of money I have on.

I probably had the same two artifacts and never found that I had to eat more than usual. My character's appetite was more sporadic, though. He always seemed to get hungry when I was being shot at.

 

[EviLore]

Btw, dunno if it's been mentioned, but for those of us who use the numpad (gasp) for FPS control, note that num * speeds up game time drastically when pressed (causing you to die of hunger quickly, run out of stamina quickly, the dayn/night cycle to accelerate, and for you to fail sub missions within a few seconds), regardless of what you have binded to it manually (and num / brings it back down).

 

[FlyinJ]

Btw, dunno if it's been mentioned, but for those of us who use the numpad (gasp) for FPS control, note that num * speeds up game time drastically when pressed (causing you to die of hunger quickly, run out of stamina quickly, the dayn/night cycle to accelerate, and for you to fail sub missions within a few seconds), regardless of what you have binded to it manually (and num / brings it back down).

Are you saying that num * is accelerate time? So you can press it to traverse the areas faster? That could be really useful.

 

[EviLore]

Are you saying that num * is accelerate time? So you can press it to traverse the areas faster? That could be really useful.

Nope, everything still moves normally. Your stamina usage and regeneration, hunger levels, day/night cycle, and time remaining on any missions with a time limit will be affected, but not your movement speed or that of NPCs.

 

[Solo]

You know, there's a second option called Object Dynamic Lighting, which looks fantastic, and yet, nobody seems to mention it. Use that and down the grass to about 25%, and you should be good to go performance-wise.

I'd just hate for anyone to miss out on the amazing parallax mapping in this game.

I'll give this a try and report back. Thanks!

 

[Danne-Danger]

Sure.

Core 2 Duo e6300 @ stock
2 gigs of DDR2 PC-6400 in Dual Channel
Audigy 2 ZS
Geforce 7900 GS @ 475 clock/680 memory.

The funny things is, I'm only running object dynamic lighting, which isn't even the highest setting. Furthermore, I don't have everything maxed out, either (like grass detail, grass shadows, sun shadows and AA/AF). This game will look good for years to come.

Outside, I'm around 25-35 fps. Inside, I'm around 35-45fps. + screens

What what?

AMD 5000+ x2
7900GTX (512)
2gigs of no-name(or low-end atleast) 667(i think) RAM

And i can run it with all the meters maxed out, everything enabled, 1280x960 and get a stable ~35-40+ framerate outside (only tested at night in a thunderstorm with fraps, but it's been a smooth experience so far), I'm pretty sure that you can go higher in the graphics department.

 

[Solo]

You know, there's a second option called Object Dynamic Lighting, which looks fantastic, and yet, nobody seems to mention it. Use that and down the grass to about 25%, and you should be good to go performance-wise.

I'd just hate for anyone to miss out on the amazing parallax mapping in this game.

I tried this, but it still seems to chug along quite a bit. Mind giving me a bit more detailed version of your settings? I have everything else cranked, so that probably has soemthing to do with it.

Also, anyone know how to quickload?

 

[MightyHedgehog]

I don't. I just use the load option from the menu. Try to start with the minimal settings and dynamic lighting on objects and dropping down to 1024x768. Then, as long as you don't tell the game to switch render paths, you can up and down tweak the settings.

I noticed that the game sometimes seems to have a memory issue if you reload several times in the same session and it starts to bog down requiring a restart the program to release processes/data in memory.

 

[Sjoerd]

Quicksave - F6
Quickload - F7

 

[Solo]

Im having a strange issue. Ive been quicksaving with F6. When I start the game the first time, I can load fine. But once Ive died, it doesnt let me load my save game again. When looking at the console, it says it cant find my savegame. Yet when I quit and restart, I can load the game again. Very annoying to have to quit and restart just to load. Anyone know why this is happening?

EDIT: F7 doesnt do jack for me either, for some reason, while F6 quicksaves like it should.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Perhaps it needs to be bound in the config file.

 

[Solo]

Maybe. Ill scope that out.

 

[Borys]

The game just hates you Solo. Give up.

 

[Solo]

I think it does. Anyways, I set all my sliders to mimmick Chiggs', and everything looks great.

Now I just need to get this weird loading issue worked out.

EDIT: Bah, oh well. It works the old fashion way (save and load from the menu rather than quicksave/load, so Ill just do that).

Damn, I am just in the start of the game, going for Nimble, and I refused the help of the 3 Stalkers, now I am getting my ass handed to me by the 7-8 Im supposed to kill :lol

 

[automagnus]

p4 3.0 ghz
ati x850XTPE 256mb AGP card
1gig ram

runs great on maximum settings

Wow this game is pretty hard! I've died way too many times storming the first building. My buddies seem completely useless except for dying the letting me take their stuff.